A predator moved more than 370 miles to Angus from his home in Wales in order to sexually abuse a child.
James Gillies is now locked up after he admitted grooming the young girl via Instagram before starting a relationship with her.
The creep sexually abused her on a bus and was seen in public groping her.
Gillies told police: “I should never have done it. I am 42 and she is 14.
“I was just enjoying the attention.”
A sheriff said a jail term is “inevitable” for Gillies who admitted targeting the girl – who is from the Forfar area – between October 2023 and February 2024.
Proposed to youngster
Dundee Sheriff Court was told how Gillies contacted the girl out of the blue on Instagram with a message saying: “Hey trouble.”
Her aunt encouraged her not to reply but the girl moved conversations to Snapchat.
Fiscal depute Andrew Brown described how Gillies sent nude images of himself from the bathroom.
The prosecutor said: “Messages continued and the accused said he was considering moving to (the Angus town) and ending his relationship of 13 years due to there being no sexual chemistry and he did not like living in Wales.
“She agreed to be his girlfriend and he also asked her to marry him.”
Gillies moved to the area from his former home in Bethesda, Gwynedd, and began seeing the girl at night and during school hours.
The court heard she would skip class to meet the paedophile, with Mr Brown describing how Gillies kissed and groped her in public.
Gillies would later touch her indecently during a bus journey for several minutes with the abuse only ending after she told him they needed to get off.
Police were eventually contacted after the girl disclosed the incident to a friend.
‘Custody is inevitable’
Gillies made admissions to officers and claimed he had “enjoyed getting attention” after suffering from anxiety and depression.
The 44-year-old, who had been residing at Tulloch Court in Dundee, pled guilty to sending indecent images and messages to the child between October 2023 and February 2024.
He also admitted engaging in sexual activity with the child in February 2024.
Solicitor Sarah Russo asked for Gillies’ bail to be continued while a social work report was prepared on him.
Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith said: “Ultimately, the non-contact sexual offence of the type which all too often comes before this court and I accept wholeheartedly, standing his lack of record, he would not usually receive a custodial sentence.
“However, the conduct here is far more sinister than that.
“Charge two is a contact sexual offence towards a 14-year-old.
“Notwithstanding a lack of previous convictions, in my view, custody is inevitable.”
Gillies was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing next month and was placed on the sex offenders’ register meantime.
For more local court content visit our page or join us on Facebook.
